Security systems which involve the use of transmitters for transmitting in a wireless system information from sensors to central monitors are becoming increasingly popular in residential communities. An example of such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,606. In that system, the transmitter is programmed with information by a programming unit, removed from the unit and inserted in the particular sensor. The particular sensor, when it goes into an alarm condition, causes a transmitter to transmit an appropriate message to the central monitor to advise of the problem or status of the sensor.
It is therefore necessary to transport the programmed transmitter from the programming unit to the sensor or detector. An economical form of memory for the transmitter is a volatile random access memory. Hence a low power voltage source may be provided on the transmitter to maintain the memory during transport so that the program data is not lost. However, as soon as the transmitter is removed from the programming device, there is the possibility that the transmitter may be in a mode to commence transmission of its status which would immediately drain the low power voltage source and result in loss of memory.